No fix for Harrogate traffic jam until June

Adjustments have been made to a new £100,000 crossing near Harrogate town centre, North Yorkshire County Council has said, however traffic jams are still commonplace.

Work on the new pedestrian crossing on the A61 Cheltenham Road, where it becomes Station Parade had led to queuing traffic down the busy street.

Frustrated motorists branded the scheme a ‘waste of money’. Neil Anderson said: “I have travelled through the area on a couple of occasions and, in my opinion, the changes have resulted in long queues, frustrated drivers and a huge increase in pollution levels.”

A council spokesman said: “Since completion of the work, minor adjustments have been made to the signal timings to ensure more green time is allocated to traffic approaching from Cheltenham Parade, as it became apparent there was a lack of co-ordination between the pelican crossing outside the theatre and the new junction.”

However this problem won’t be solved until new technology can be commissioned in the summer.

The spokesman added: “The intention is to link the theatre pedestrian crossing with the new junction in June when new technology is commissioned to manage better the traffic signals in the town.

“There is always a period of settling in with new highway arrangements as drivers and pedestrians get used to the new arrangements. It is envisaged that the new management system and a better understanding of the operation of the junction will in a short time achieve improved efficiencies at this much-needed junction improvement.

“Highways engineers will continue to monitor the operation of the junction in the meantime.”

The £100,000 project was funded through the Local Sustainable Transport Fund, and the council said the changes aim to improve accessibility for pedestrians between the main transport hub and the town centre.